The personal blog of Peter Lee a.k.a. "China Hand"... Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel, and an open book to those who read. You are welcome to contact China Matters at the address chinamatters --a-- prlee.org or follow me on twitter @chinahand.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Alexander Cockburn, RIP

Out,
brief candle.

I
felt considerable surprise and sorrow in learning of the death of Alexander Cockburn.

He
was instrumental in getting me started as a writer. I owe him a great debt of
gratitude for his interest and encouragement, and the platform that he and
Jeffrey St. Clair have given me at the Counterpunch website and newsletter.

When
I wrote, I sometimes imagined Alexander Cockburn as the reader at my shoulder. I think it made me a better, bolder, and more
honest writer.

However,
the biting sense of loss has more to it than the disappearance of a sympathetic
interlocutor, or the knowledge that, despite having reached his “allotted threescore
and ten” and burdened by the physical and emotional miseries of a two-year
battle with cancer, Alexander Cockburn had plenty left in the tank when he
passed on.

Of
course, he had more polemics left to write, articles to edit, contributors to
nurture.

But
I was also brought up short by the thought, if Alexander Cockburn isn’t around
to do these things, who will?Who, in
these difficult times, has the talent, the knowledge, the experience, and his
miraculous combination of engagement, detachment, humor, invective, and
generosity to fill the void?

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